Rambling's of what goes on in my little corner of the world. From what's on my work table to what's cooking in my kitchen to how I may be spending the day with my grands.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

From the Sewing Room...

Here are a few things I couldn't work without....

well, maybe I could, but it would be difficult.

I do alot of clothing alterations...especially pant hemming...men's trousers and jeans...

These are a few of my favorite things in the sewing room that help make that job a bit easier.

Tape measure, "ruler" and wax chalk for marking.

This ruler was originally a yard stick that got broke in two so I smoothed off the rough end and it has been my marking ruler ever since. I've tried using other rulers and yes, I know, a ruler is a ruler and they all measure the same, but call me crazy, it's just not the same!

Love this wax chalk...if it's mismarked, then just a little shot of steam or light press of the iron and it disappears.

Jean-a-ma-jig....A jeanmajawhat? There's also something called a "hump-jumper"... I use mine for hemming blue jeans to get over the bulky side and inseams. Simply slide it under the presser foot and around the needle just as you come to the hump and it helps to ease over that seam....then I bring it around to the front as I come off that hump to ease back into it.

Something else that helps with hemming jeans is using the correct size of machine needle.

Magnetic pin-keep. I love my handmade make-do pin keeps and have made plenty of them but for this kind of sewing, I keep this close at hand. No more spilled pins boxes and if a pin or two gets dropped, just run my magnet pinkeep over the floor or wherever pins were dropped and it will pick them up.